1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the transport of a long windmill wing, wherein the windmill wing is transported on a vehicle, and wherein the windmill wing is secured at one end to a tractive vehicle and at an opposite end to a non-tractive vehicle. The invention moreover relates to a vehicle for the transport of a long windmill wing, the vehicle being composed of a tractive vehicle to which one end of the windmill wing is secured, and a non-tractive vehicle to which the other end of the windmill wing is secured.
2. The Prior Art
In the production of energy in the form of electricity, ever greater demands are made by politicians and citizens in general with respect to replacing the fossil fuels with alternative renewable sources of energy, such as biogas systems, wave systems and windmill energy.
Windmill energy in particular has obtained an ever more prominent position in recent years, as it has been developed such that not inconsiderable amounts of energy can be produced by ever more effective windmills.
The greater efficiency of the windmills has been achieved technologically on the basis of the development of new materials having mechanical properties which make it possible today to manufacture windmill wings with a length of up to more than 60 metres and with a weight of about 18 tons.
Within a few years it will presumably be possible to manufacture windmill wings which have a length of between 80 and 100 metres.
When such large windmill wings are to be transported from the factory to the installation site, long special vehicles have been used till now where the windmill wing has rested on a long metal connection profile which is connected between the tractive part of a vehicle and a wheeled platform at the opposite end of the vehicle.
Such a vehicle may typically have a weight of the order of 35-40 tons. When the weight of the windmill wing is added, the total weight is of the order of 53-58 tons, which gives a considerable axle load on the vehicle which transports the windmill wing.
As the distance of the connection profile to the surface of the ground is very small, it may of course be difficult to manoeuvre the vehicle round corners if road signs or differences in level, e.g., are present at the corners.
WO 03/057528 A1 discloses a vehicle for the transport of a windmill wing, where the windmill wing is suspended between a tractive and a non-tractive vehicle.
As will be known, a windmill wing is configured as a partially flat structure which may have a thickness of 3.5-4.5 metres at its thick place at the root of the windmill wing, and a width which may be 4.5-5.5 metres at its widest place.
The suspension according to the WO publication is configured such that the windmill wing may be rotated about its longitudinal axis so that it may assume a “high” as well as a “wide”position, which means that if the windmill wing is to be moved through a viaduct having a height which is smaller than the width of the windmill wing, the windmill wing may be rotated about its longitudinal axis and thus be placed with its faces in a position such that the normal of the faces is perpendicular to the road. The windmill wing will hereby assume a position where the distance to the road surface is greatest.
Thus, in the known structure, it is the dimensions of the windmill which decide how high or how low the lowermost part of the windmill wing may be placed above a road, as the highest level means that the windmill wing must assume the widest position on the road, while the lowest level is achieved when the windmill wing stands up.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a method wherein the distance between the lowest part of the windmill wing and the surface of the road may be adjusted independently of the orientation of the windmill wing, and in a range which is greater than is possible in the known structure, and such that the distance between the lowest part of the windmill wing and the road surface may be adjusted without changing the position of the windmill wing on the vehicle.